Album Season 2

Album #201

The Androy Hotel: Queen of Howard Street

The grand old lady of Howard Street stands broken and empty now, but for many years Hibbing's Androy Hotel was the very epitome of elegance and style. Built with mining company money, the grand hotel opened in 1921. The history of the Androy mirrors the story of Hibbing. First, opulent times of big money, then, a sad decline. The hotel closed in 1978, after dwindling to a mere shadow of its former glory. Tonight on Album, producer Juli Kellner charts the rise and fall of the grand Androy Hotel.

Album #202

The Island of the Yellow Breasted Woodpecker

Madeline Island plays an important role in the history of settlers, and Native Americans alike. We've heard the tales of the commercial fisherman, loggers, and farmers that came in wave after wave to stake their claims. Tonight Joe Frazier tells the story of the island's early history through the myths and legends of the Ojibwe people who came to the island of the yellow breasted woodpecker, long before Europeans ventured to the new world.

Album #203

Paul Schurke: To the North Pole

Adventurer Paul Schurke is a rare man. He co-led the team, which arrived at the North Pole on May 1, 1986, becoming the first dogsled expedition to do so without resupply. Tonight on Album, Juli Kellner interviews Paul about his first meeting with the man who would become his partner on the adventure, Will Steger. Paul also talks about their struggle to find financial support for their voyage, as they put together and trained the polar team, and finally the days and nights of Arctic cold they experienced on their way to the top of the world.

Album #204

Paul Schurke: Dogsled Diplomat

Some people would be happy with one big adventure, but for Paul Schurke it was just the beginning. He began thinking about his next voyage on way to the North Pole. Those thoughts were eventually shaped into the Bering Bridge Expedition. While training for the North Pole Expedition, Paul learned about how the closing of the northern border, between Alaska, and the Soviet Union had cut off Eskimo families. In 1989 he set out with a twelve-member team, half Soviet, and half American, half of both teams made up of members of the Inuit culture. His purpose was to open the border, and reunite members of this circum-polar culture. In his interview with Juli Kellner, Paul Schurke talks about fruitful days of dogsled diplomacy on his second major expedition.

Album #205

A Century of The Duluth Curling Club

The Duluth Curling Club has a proud tradition, dating back before the turn of the century. The city has had more than its share of champions...and even hosted national and international events. The early days of the Duluth Curling Club saw only the elite with brooms in hand, but that has changed. Tonight on Album, Juli Kellner looks back at the history of the Club, and at the sport of curling itself.

Album #206

The Last Voyage

On November 10, 1975, the S. S. Edmund Fitzgerald went down with all hands. Twenty-nine men lost their lives on that tragic night. The Fitzgerald was just miles from safe harbor at Whitefish Bay when it went to the bottom. The question that remains is why. On the next edition of ALBUM, producer Juli Kellner speaks with noted shipwreck historians about that fateful last voyage of the Edmund Fitzgerald.

Album #207

Jim Brandenburg: The Photographer

You have probably seen his photographs before, gracing the pages of our favorite magazines and books. Jim Brandenburg is, after all, a well-respected and award-winning photographer, whose work has appeared in dozens of national and international magazines. Assignments for the National Geographic Society alone have taken him all over the world. Tonight on ALBUM, producer Juli Kellner speaks with Brandenburg about the beginning of his career in Duluth, and the path, which took him to worldwide acclaim.

Album #208

Jim Brandenburg: Living with the White Wolf

On this edition of ALBUM, producer Juli Kellner continues her interview with photographer, Jim Brandenburg. He recounts his amazing experiences living in the Arctic, where he documented the lifestyle of the white wolf. Brandenburg also talks about how a chance meeting blossomed into a magazine article, a book, and a television special for National Geographic Explorer.

Album #209

The Age of Brownstone

Old Duluth Central High School is an impressive example of the use of a local building material. One hundred years ago, Lake Superior Brownstone influenced building styles across the country. On this edition of ALBUM, producer Joe Frazier looks at how Brownstone was quarried along Chequamegon Bay, the South Shore of Lake Superior, and at Fond du Lac on the St. Louis River

Album #210

Even Thousand Miles

Lyle and Nancy Burke had spent a lot of time sailing on Lake Superior, but their dream was to take a big trip, down to the Bahamas and back. On September 28, 1990, they set out with their 31-foot catamaran, down the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico. Join Juli Kellner for an interview with two people who dared to take the trip of their dreams, despite some physical handicaps.

Album #211

The Duluth Air National Guard: A Proud Tradition

The Duluth Air National Guard had a humble beginning after World War II. There were just a few old shacks, and fifty men at the base's dedication on September 17, 1948. The first fighter aircraft, a F-51D "Mustang" didn't arrive until December. The Duluth Air National Guard has come a long way since then. The unit now plays a vital role in our nation's defense. Join host, Juli Kellner, as she looks back at the early days of the Air Guard base.

Album #212

The Duluth Air National Guard: The Tradition Continues

The Duluth Air National Guard bears little resemblance to pictures of the base in 1948. Yet, it was during the early years that the unit struggled to develop a reputation of excellence. As host Juli Kellner reports, this proud tradition continues as unit members excel in competition and take on air defense missions locally, and half way around the world.

Album #213

Commercial Fishing: The Beginning

People have fished Lake Superior's waters looking for a meal since time immemorial. At the turn of the century, settlers found the lake teeming with life. A successful commercial fishing industry was born. Along with that industry came the commercial fishermen. Join Juli Kellner for a look back at the boom era of commercial fishing along Lake Superior's North Shore.

Album #214

Commercial Fishing: The End?

The 1950 brought a terrible crisis for commercial fishermen along the North Shore. Suddenly fish populations began to drop. Conservation organizations blamed it on over-fishing, while the fishermen themselves saw the toll taken by lamprey, smelt and pollution. Join Juli Kellner as we look at commercial fishing from the 1950s to the present.

Album #215

Fairlawn: House of History

You can't drive along the Superior waterfront without noticing "Fairlawn." The grand, old Victorian mansion stands head and shoulders above its neighbors. In this week's ALBUM you'll step through its doors, back through time...you'll meet Martin Pattison, Superior's millionaire mayor, who built the mansion for a family home...you'll hear how "Fairlawn" fell into the hands of the Superior Children's Home and Refugee Association, housing more than 2,000 orphans and wayward girls through the years...and you'll see "Fairlawn" as it is today, home of the Douglas County Historical Society. "Fairlawn" remains a shining example of Victorian elegance from its rich, intricate woodwork to its exquisite tile and marble fireplaces.

Album #216

A Minnesota Success Story

Guilford G. Hartley was a Scottish immigrant who worked as a logger in the forests of northern Minnesota. Yet a few years later he was a millionaire and owner of a large farm within the Duluth city limits. Join Juli Kellner as she looks at the life and times of Guilford G. Hartley.

Album #217

An interview with William Van Evera

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Album #218

The Depot Celebrates A Century

Many a weary immigrant got his first impression of northern Minnesota from the platform of the Union Train Station in Duluth. It's no wonder, then, that so many remember the elegant Duluth Union Depot so well. After its opening in 1892, the chateauesque structure sheltered hundreds of immigrants and visitors. The Depot remained in constant use until 1969. Then, when it looked as if the landmark might have to be torn down, an idea was born which gave the Depot its second life. In 1983 the building was renovated under the direction of the St. Louis County Heritage and Arts Center. It has since become a focal point for history, visual and performing arts. Join host Juli Kellner for a look at the first century of the Duluth Depot.

Album #219

Benedictine Sisters - Pillars of the Community

The Benedictine Sisters have had their share of hard times over the years. Yet, they are still known to be "Pillars of the Community" due to their strength and accomplishments. For over 100 years now they have excelled in northland education and health care. Join host Julie Zenner to retrace the rocky road the Benedictine Sisters have traveled.

Album #220

The Women's Convoy to South America

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Album #223

Twenty Years of Birkie Fever

Twenty years ago Telemark Lodge came to be the birthplace of the Birkebeiner. Cross-country ski enthusiasts aren't the only ones who have come to appreciate what this race means to the town of Cable, Wisconsin. Throughout the years the sport of cross-country skiing has undergone changes and the Birkebeiner has been modified in order to continue its reputation. Join host, Julie Zenner, as we look at the past twenty years of the Birkebeiner.

Album #224

Lake Superior/Baikal Connect

Last summer a group of American and Russian kayakers traveled completely around Lake Superior. It was actually the second half of a two-year voyage which first took the expedition around Russia's Lake Baikal. Their trip was one of friendship, hardship, and challenge. Travel with "Album" host Juli Kellner as we meet the people behind this history- making expedition and share their voyage.

Album #225

Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing

Today, 3M is one of the most prominent corporations in the world. Yet, this success didn't come easy. Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing has suffered disaster after disaster, but somehow managed to pull through. Join Producer Juli Kellner as she tracks the rocky road that 3M has traveled since it's beginning in Two Harbors.

Album #226

Children of the Arctic

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Album #227

Jeno Paulucci: Success Story Part I

An in-depth conversation with self made man Jeno Paulucci, about the many successes, and surprising failures on his road to amassing a fortune.

Album #228

Jeno Paulucci: The Conversation Continues Part II

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Album #229

On the Party Line

Album's Juli Kellner chronicles life during the era of magneto phones and shared party lines, when all calls went through the town's operator.

Album #230

The Salvation Army

This organization has a long proud tradition in our community, which is chronicled on this edition of Album.